What is the FIG file format?
A .fig file is a local copy of a Figma design document, saved from Figma's cloud-based collaborative interface using the File › Save local copy option. Figma, Inc. introduced this export mechanism so designers can archive a snapshot of their work or share a project file outside the Figma platform.
Internally, .fig is a proprietary binary container. Figma has not publicly documented its structure, and there are no known magic bytes that identify the format. The file stores all design data present in the original cloud document - frames, layers, components, styles, text, and prototype connections - in a self-contained package.
The format is not directly interoperable. Only Figma itself (via the web app or the Figma desktop app for Windows and macOS) can open a .fig file reliably, by importing it back into a Figma workspace through File › Import or by dropping the file onto the Figma home screen. Third-party tools do not natively support the format.
For broader compatibility, Figma can export individual frames or entire pages to SVG, PDF, or PNG. These exports are flat renders or standard vector formats rather than editable design containers. Users migrating from Sketch may find .fig import useful, as Figma also accepts .sketch files.
Because .fig captures a point-in-time snapshot, it does not automatically sync with the live Figma project; re-exporting a new copy is required to reflect later changes.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA Figma .fig is data, not an executable, so opening it (in Figma) is low-risk. The real caution is the ecosystem: do NOT trust random "free Figma .fig viewer/converter" websites - Figma explicitly recommends against third-party tools for .fig because they can corrupt or fail to read the proprietary format, and some such sites are scams/PUP. Import into Figma itself instead.
Format details
in a nutshell- Xfig vector drawing - Plain-text vector drawing from the open-source Xfig editor; begins with a '#FIG <version>' header and exports to SVG/PDF/EPS via fig2dev/Transfig.
- MATLAB figure - Saved plot/figure window from MathWorks MATLAB (a MAT-file under the hood), reopened and edited in MATLAB.
Programs that open FIG files
Windows1 app
Figma desktop app
Freemium Open the desktop app, then File -> Import / drag the .fig in. No third-party Windows viewer reliably opens Figma .fig. 
macOS1 app
Linux1 app
Figma (browser)
Freemium There is no Linux desktop app - import the .fig via figma.com in a browser.
Figma (browser)
Freemium At figma.com, open your Drafts and drag the .fig in to import it (or File -> Import). It cannot be opened outside Figma. Technical details
deep spec| Container type | Proprietary binary container; internal structure is not publicly documented |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream (no format-specific MIME type registered) |
| Magic bytes | None documented; .fig files carry no public file signature and cannot be identified by byte patterns |
| Created by | Figma web or desktop app via File › Save local copy |
| Content stored | Frames, layers, vector shapes, components, styles, text nodes, prototype links, and embedded assets |
| Asset embedding | Raster images and other linked assets are bundled inside the binary container at export time |
| Platform support | Figma web app (all desktop browsers) and Figma desktop app for Windows and macOS |
| Import method | Drag onto the Figma home screen or use File › Import inside the desktop app |
| Third-party support | No official native support in any third-party design or viewer tool |
| Cloud sync | Static point-in-time snapshot; does not stay in sync with the live Figma cloud project |
| Export alternatives | Figma can export frames to SVG, PDF, PNG, or JPG; these lose editability compared to .fig |
| Version sensitivity | Files saved from a newer Figma version may be incompatible with older app versions |
| File encoding | Binary; not human-readable and not parseable as text or XML |
| Released | 2010s (Figma 'Save local copy') |
| Specification | help.figma.com |
FIG conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about FIG files.
